Media Measurement

Consumers have more media content, channels and more choice of devices than ever before.

Advertisers, media owners and media buyers need to identify which digital and traditional channels are most successful at attracting the right audiences.

Our audience measurement solution is the trading currency for television (e.g. TV ratings), print, radio, out-of-home, online and mobile media. We track which consumers are using what channel, how they are engaging with content across each medium and what is driving their behavior.

With this detailed view of consumers’ content appreciation our clients not only get ratings of what people are watching or listening to – they also know why. Our cross-media measurement shows what devices your audiences are using for each channel and type of content, and we evaluate your marketing efficiency and performance across the whole spectrum of channels.

We help you optimize your channel selection and content to deliver increased audience engagement, end-to-end.

Connecting the dots between digital and traditional media

We investigated the role of social media chatter in generating awareness and readership of Vanity Fair’s Caitlyn Jenner issue.

Vanity Fair is an influential and iconic magazine published by Condé Nast.

Situation

Most media planners crave insight and data about how digital and traditional media can work together. The much talked about issue with Caitlyn Jenner on the cover offered us a perfect opportunity to explore this topic. We wanted to investigate what impact, if any, the social media buzz can have on the readership of the July issue in its traditional printed format.

Approach

Over a nine-week period, we surveyed 1,798 adults online who said they had read the July issue of Vanity Fair.

Outcome

Four in ten adults who read the magazine first heard about the Jenner cover on social media

40% of adults (ages 18+) who read the July issue had not read Vanity Fair in the previous 12 months

Nearly half (47%) of those readers were aged 18 and 34, indicating that the coveted millennials do read print magazines, contrary to the conventional wisdom

The big challenge for publishers is generating awareness among these younger readers – and it looks like social media can help with this

Optimizing TV content for a demanding audience

31.01.2016

Our research helped this TV network shape its new television show featuring a Brazilian icon.

Situation

A broadcaster needed information about how viewers would respond to a popular entertainer’s return to the airwaves after a short absence. After the launch of the program, the company wanted to track the audience’s response to its format and content.

Approach

We explored social media conversations to determine which elements viewers might value in the show, and how these aligned with the host and the network. A subsequent quantitative study gauged the target audience’s intention of watching the program.

After the launch, we tracked viewers’ behavior and opinions by integrating social media insights with audience data from the broadcaster and data from our online panel.

Outcome

We found that Brazilians were receptive to a new show because television program options during the evening time slot were limited.

After the launch, we tracked user-generated content on social networks to see what elements of the show were resonating with the audience. This information helped producers strengthen the show’s content.

Our advice also helped the commercial team to target sponsors with brands that would be a good match for the profile of the program and its audience.

When Netflix released Stranger Things mid-way through July 2016, few people would have predicted the scale of the show’s success. Within its relatively short life span, Stranger Things (a series that is part of the ever expanding list of Netflix originals) has been celebrated by critics and Netflix users around the globe, by bringing a (perhaps, up until its release, slightly less fashionable) sci-fi TV format to TV screens in 2016, without losing any of the charm that people associate with the classics of that genre.
Many commentators have speculated that the show would appeal to those who love the sci-fi classics of the 80s, as well as introducing the genre to new audiences, so we decided to look at our SVOD tracker data to see who exactly is watching this show.

Who is watching Stranger Things?

Firstly, let’s look at the profile of those watching the show:
Compared to all Netflix users, the Stranger Things audience tends to be younger (they are more likely to be in living in a household with parents and other siblings, but less likely to have children around) and the appeal to both genders is more evenly balanced compared to other shows.
Looking at age, 65% of those watching Stranger Things were 18-34. In fact, Stranger Things has one of the youngest audiences compared to any other major Netflix Original (with the exception of Making a Murderer, which has similar gender and age splits). This could be influenced by the subject matter of the two shows (sci-fi vs politics) but also perhaps because Stranger Things is a less familiar (and in a way, newer) format in today’s TV landscape, which could have triggered interest amongst younger users.
It should be noted that these younger audiences are also more likely to consume video content on connected devices other than the TV screen.

How was it watched after release?

After being released on July 15th 2016, Stranger Things became a hit almost overnight. Even though it was only available for half of the month, it was the 3rd most streamed title in our SVOD tracker in July ’16, moving up to become the 2nd most streamed title in August ‘16. In September, the show was still the 2nd most streamed title, only ranking behind Narcos, which had released the 2nd season of the series at the beginning of the month. The release format that Netflix uses, releasing an entire season’s worth of episodes at once, is highly conducive to binge watching.
Among those that binge watch shows, Stranger Things has the highest proportion of people streaming 4+ episodes, proving that people have been bingeing heavily on this series in the first weeks of its release.

Are people enjoying watching Stranger Things?

When asked to rate the program on a scale of 1 to 10, in terms of viewing satisfaction, Stranger Things (with a score of 9.0) delivered slightly better content ratings than other shows on Netflix (whose average score is 8.5). However, it is worth noting that Narcos and Making a Murderer also scored a 9.0 average content rating, which shows that Stranger Things is in-line with other recent Netflix Original releases on this measure (the average content rating for Netflix originals is 8.8). Could they be listening to feedback from their audience to make more enjoyable programs?
Stranger Things has been a success for Netflix – the data in our SVOD tracker shows this, but the announcement that Netflix have already commissioned a second series is clear evidence that this is true. In my opinion though, the key success of this show was that a higher proportion of younger users (16-34s) seem to be engaged with this title.
If Netflix is to continue successfully expanding globally, it will need to make sure that it retains the attention of this audience, especially in a market where new video services are launching every day on a variety of devices, and vast sums of cash are invested into original content to try and capture market share. Having said that, if Netflix keeps successfully producing new program formats (or reviving old favorites), then they have a good chance at cementing their position at the top of the SVOD market even further.

Today’s fragmented media landscape presents a significant challenge to automotive retailers seeking to maximize the efficiency of their online campaigns. The growing importance of online media combined with the proliferation of connected devices further exacerbates the problem. How can you influence automotive consumers in an increasingly connected world?
Automotive marketers face a number of pressing concerns:

Which touchpoints should you activate to improve marketing communications?

How can you track the performance of online touchpoints?

Can you minimize scatter loss and maximize reach within your target group?

How can you get the most out of mobile?

Understanding consumer behavior through audience measurement

The answers to these questions lie in passive audience measurement. It reveals audience behavior, supports campaign efficiency and provides crucial insights into the purchase journey. It also allows marketers to understand consumer behavior across all channels and multiple devices. You can make informed decisions to optimize marketing strategies and to achieve growth. There are three key ways to measure your audience:

For example, by revealing which websites your primary target group is using so you can plan your media spend more efficiently.

By revealing the role your website plays in the purchase journey. By knowing where users are coming from, you can increase traffic to your website and optimize your impact.

You can identify which online touchpoints your target groups use, how frequently, and for how long.

Maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns

By providing key insights into consumer behavior online, cross-media measurement enables you to maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns and prioritize future spend for maximum return on investment. Armed with these crucial insights, you will be equipped to create compelling marketing strategies that will engage consumers and deliver a solid return to your bottom line.
To share your thoughts, please email ondrej.szabo@gfk.com.

This website uses cookies. Cookies enable us to understand how visitors use our website so that we
can improve it and provide the best experience possible. By browsing our website, you agree to our
use of cookies.
Learn more